Texas Woman Charged In 2004 Fatal Crash Sues GM

A Texas woman who pleaded guilty to a criminal charge in a 2004 car crash that killed her fiancé has filed suit against General Motors (GM) Co. Candice Anderson is asking a federal judge in Tyler to set aside a $75,000 settlement in the case. Ms. Anderson also seeks punitive damages. Ms. Anderson was driving a 2004 Saturn Ion in November of 2004 when the car suddenly veered off a road and ran into a tree in Van Zandt County, Texas. Her fiance, Gene Mikale Erikson, who was 25 at the time, was killed. Anderson, then 21, was severely injured.

Because there were no skid marks, authorities believed Anderson was at fault and charged her with negligent homicide. Believing she was to blame, Ms. Anderson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of deferred punishment and 260 hours of community service. She also was required to pay for Erikson’s funeral and $3,500 in court costs. The lawsuit alleges that a faulty GM ignition switch was the real cause of the crash. It contends the switch slipped out of the run position, knocking out power steering and brakes and disabling the air bags. Tthe lawsuit alleges that GM knew about the bad switches, but failed to disclose the problem even though Ms. Anderson was pleading guilty to a criminal offense. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed that the crash was caused by the bad switch.